This past weekend, another cherished Springfield tradition took place. I’m not entirely sure how many years this tradition has been around, but I can assure you it’s been a great time for at least the 30 years of my career. The JROTC had their Santa’s breakfast, and each year, this event is just so much fun. It gives me an opportunity to reflect on how wonderful some of our school-sponsored events really are and to see our students doing great things for everyone to enjoy.
On Thursday night of this past week, I once again attended the JROTC Parent Booster Club meeting. One of the main topics was Santa’s breakfast. It’s amazing how much happens behind the scenes with these events. First Sergeant Rickey Thomas reminded everyone that this is a community event and about leadership, not necessarily a fundraiser. It’s all about the kids putting on something for the whole community to enjoy.
After reinforcing the mission, the group started discussing the details. Did they have enough forks? Enough of everything? The decorations? What needed to be done? They reviewed the donation list—my figures might not be exact, but thanks to Sam’s for some 120 pounds of pancake mix. The conversation continued about all the preparations, from celebrity servers to the fire department sending people to participate in the community event. I saw Holland police officers and many other community members come out in a supporting role.
Once preparations were complete, the real fun was seeing all the different community members come together and watching our JROTC cadets participate and run the event. This year was no exception. As I get older, I find former students coming for breakfast and introducing me to their kids. Some parents, like me, bring their grandkids to the event, and we catch up on life. It was so nice to talk and interact with everyone, seeing eyes light up as the Grinch walked through or Mrs. Steinmiller serving pancakes with whipped cream and sprinkles. The whole day was as fun as could be.
On a personal note, I had my 3-year-old grandson there this year, and “Poppyi,” as I am known, happened to sneak one of the sausages off his plate. Camden didn’t notice for a while, but once he did, he wondered what happened to his other sausage. With some quick grandpa thinking, I told him the Grinch stole it when he wasn’t looking! A great moment for a grandfather, my grandson stood on the chair and tried to warn everyone in the cafeteria to watch out for the Grinch because he might steal their sausage. We even had to wake up Auntie Becca in Nashville to tell her what the Grinch did.
I share this story to remind everyone what a community event looks like. The JROTC cadets did an absolutely amazing job. It was wonderful to see them interacting with all the community members, showing leadership by welcoming people, helping them find their seats, coordinating activities and being positive contributors to the event. The cadets excelled in everything, whether getting a picture with Santa, decorating a cookie, playing with Legos with the young kids or helping carry a tray for an elderly member. They truly made it a memorable moment. I am so proud of the JROTC cadets and all their hard work, and everyone should be as well. Congratulations to all of them. Your mission was accomplished. This was a successful community event.
